loving and laughing through the middle ages

Boston Bruins

OK I admit it. I’ve been hiding in a bit of a funk since the Canucks lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. I was just so sure they were going to win. I even had champagne in the fridge and the beginnings of a celebratory post ruminating in my head.

But then they lost. And then there was that embarrassing, horrifying, ugly riot. And I just couldn’t write about that. I had been at Game 7 with my husband where the evening was an utter love fest, for fans and players alike. And although there were no Gary Bettman fans there, the crowd cheered vehemently for the Canucks and gave Tim Thomas and the Bruins a standing ovation. We had no idea that cars were burning outside until we were safely home.

It kind of ruined hockey for me, and for awhile, writing. I had all these great posts in mind, about how being a hockey mom is more Canadian than maple syrup, but I just didn’t care anymore.

But I’m back. I’ve just spent the last three days camping in the rain, hanging around the fire with my boisterous boys, feeding them s’mores and Jiffy pop and I feel great.

Thanks for waiting.
Love Lucie

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You don’t have to be a fan of Stevie Wonder to know that the professional sport is where the weirdest superstitions live, and fans are not exempt from this rule. I’m pretty sure accountants don’t wear the same underwear through tax season. But you only have to look at the decline in razor blade sales in the Vancouver and Boston this June to know that something is up. Even my husband has grown cheek fur for this Stanley Cup playoff run, and I’m not lying when I say if I could grow a beard, I would too.

If these behavioural eccentricities are considered normal in professional sport, then hockey’s netminders are the “normalest” of the bunch. Ever since Patrick Roy was just a rookie with the Montreal Canadiens, he seemed to get a lot of favourable bounces and the puck often hit the goalposts. According to Roy, that’s because he talks to his posts during the game. “They are my friends,” he said. Unusual, n’est-ce pas?

Hockey Fans are no less eccentric when it comes to supporting their teams. I have heard of pre-game rituals involving rubbing horseshoes or rabbit’s feet, lucky meals, lucky beers, sitting in the same spot, not washing your jersey, and no sex on game day (the last two may be related). My sister believes that she best helps the Canucks when she points all 10 fingers at the TV screen at a 90 degree angle, sending her energy to her beloved Canucks. She looks crazy, especially when in a bar, though I guess no more crazy that Roy talking to his goal posts.

Probably the most common way to “represent” and support your team is to festoon your body in team colours. Luckily for us fans, the Vancouver Canucks are no longer look to Halloween for their style inspiration. These days you will find fans bleeding blue, green & white – tattoos, bellies, hair and of course, their beloved jerseys. Thank goodness hockey owners have finally caught on that women love hockey too and that jerseys aren’t all that flattering on us. The wave of great new t-shirts designed to enhance the ‘twins’ (and I’m not talking about the Sedins) have made the local Dog’s Ear and Bang On the hottest businesses around town these days.

In this playoff run, I have bought 3 Canucks t-shirts. The first one I bought to celebrate the Vancouver Canucks sweeping (their nemesis) the Chicago Blackhawks in Round 1 of this Stanley Cup Playoffs. Except we lost Game 4. And Game 5. And Game 6. Then I threw out the t-shirt and we won Game 7!

For the series against San Jose, Canuck fever had really taken hold of Vancity and I couldn’t show my face around town without some cheer gear on, so I bought another Canucks t-shirt. I had it on for Game 5 and we were down the entire game. With just 20 seconds left, Coach V. called a time out and I whipped off my unlucky shirt. As I watched the remainder of the game in my bra (luckily we were watching at home), Kesler scored 7 seconds later and Boom-Boom Bieksa put the Sharks away for good in 2nd OT.

My husband got tickets to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final and I had to get a new lucky t-shirt to represent and support my team. I searched for 2 hours before I found this beauty. I truly believe my shirt helped to ruin the Bruins.

Game 3 was just a small setback. I’ve washed the bad luck off my t-shirt and we’re good to go for Game 4! But if we don’t win tonight, I’ll be back in the market for another by Friday!